1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to infant seat products and, more particularly, to an assembly for mounting a toy bar arrangement to an infant seat assembly, and an associated apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
There are several commercially-available variants of infant seats or so-called “bouncers.” A bouncer usually consists of a frame and a seat which is supported by said frame and, additionally, may include features that are intended to entertain or soothe the infant occupant. Such features may include, for example, electromechanical vibration units, toys and toy bars intended to engage the interest of the infant occupant.
One commonly used feature is a toy bar. The toy bar attaches to the bouncer and provides a structure to which one may attach toys and/or other devices intended to capture the attention of and to engage the infant occupant. These toys may include electrical or mechanical features and may be permanently or semi-permanently attached to the toy bar or otherwise integral with the toy bar. The mounting devices which permit attachment of the toy bar to the frame are often designed to articulate in such a way as to facilitate use by the occupant (improving visibility or reach) or to allow the caregiver improved access to the occupant while being placed into or being removed from the bouncer.
A concern arising from the use of the toy bar is that it can appear to be, and may in fact be, used as a handle with which to lift the bouncer while occupied by an infant. This becomes a safety concern when the toy bar, while indeed appearing to be a handle, is not designed for use as a handle and, therefore, does not provide a safe means of transporting the bouncer while occupied. In such instances, the toy bar could potentially disengage from the frame/bouncer, or may not sufficiently balance and secure the seat so as to prevent the seat from inversion and possible discharge of the occupant.
Furthermore, previous designs of toy bars may demonstrate a variety of connection styles and geometry. While these designs are typically functional and relatively safe, both criteria are not typically met with equal success. For example, in strengthening a toy bar so that it does not disengage easily from the frame, such toy bars do not compensate for their potential use as a handle, to the extent that a caregiver might mistakenly assume it is designed for that purpose.
As such, it would be desirable to provide a device and associated apparatus capable of reducing instances of misuse of a toy bar as a handle during transportation of the bouncer, while also being capable of maintaining the toy bar in an engaged position during use thereof by the infant occupant.